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WHAT IS BS 25999?

Business continuity planning has played an important role in business resilience, but just recently an overarching, versatile international standard – BS 25999 – has been established. This new standard views business continuity as not just a plan, but as a holistic management system that should be integrated into your organization's daily activities.

British Standard Institution's British Standard (BS) 25999 takes the idea of a business continuity plan, and broadens its scope to encompass your entire enterprise. BS 25999 focuses your organizations objectives, making the development of a Business Continuity Management System (BCMS) more efficient and its implementation more effective. Creating a BCMS involves not only the establishment and implementation of a plan to protect your employees, processes and supply chains, but also the continual improvement of your plan in order to maintain a system vital to your organization's resilience.

BS 25999 is divided into two parts: BS 25999-1 and BS 25999-2. BS 25999-1, or the Code of Practice, was published in December 2006 and is a general document that outlines the purpose of the standard. BS 25999-2, or the Specification, was released in November 2007 and provides concrete steps a business should follow in order to develop and manage a BCMS.

Because of BS 25999-2's specific instructions, it is the document that external registrars will use to audit your company. It includes four main sections on creating and maintaining a BCMS*:

1. Planning the BCMS
2. Implementing and operating the BCMS
3. Monitoring and reviewing the BCMS
4. Maintaining and improving the BCMS

BS 25999 is a set of instructions for creating and maintaining a Business Continuity Management System in businesses of any size or type. An organization wishing to use BS 25999 will find itself better able to provide services and products to its customers while keeping employees safe and productive in a variety of situations.

*From BS 25999-2:2007

BS 25999 frequently asked questions

Steps to BS 25999

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WHAT IS ISO/TS 16949:2002?

PERRY JOHNSON REGISTRARS IS NOW AN OFFICIAL CERTIFICATION BODY RECOGNIZED BY THE IATF FOR ISO/TS 16949:2002

In response to the need for a uniform quality management standard for automotive suppliers across the world, the International Automotive Task Force (IATF) produced ISO/TS 16949:2002 in 1999. The standard embraces ISO 9000 - the international benchmark for quality. In 2002, it was revised to align with ISO 9001:2000. Certification to this technical specification provides global recognition for suppliers sourcing across the automotive industry.

The ISO/TS 16949:2002 standard, which contains all of ISO 9001:2000, along with automotive sector-specific requirements from the American QS-9000, German VDA 6.1, French EAQF and Italian AVSQ quality standards, places major emphasis on customer satisfaction and promises to lay the foundation for an exceptional line of products. The standard affects companies that manufacture or supply components and other products to the American, German, French, Italian, British, Japanese and other automotive industries.

While implementing a quality management system is time-consuming and at times difficult, firms that become registered will be considered to have higher standards and better quality products. Streamlining of separate national requirements into one common standard has ended varying demands - and in turn, eliminated the wastefulness associated with multiple quality standards.

Under the guidelines, auto suppliers who meet the applicability for ISO/TS 16949:2002 must conform to the 23 ISO 9001:2000 elements along with a number of sector-specific requirements that address the collective needs of automotive manufacturers. These manufacturers also require their suppliers to meet customer-specific requirements that address individual product needs.

The effects of ISO/TS 16949:2002's quality management system requirements are already being felt by thousands of auto suppliers around the world, although the transition from the older national automotive quality standards is still in progress. None of these standards were revised to align with ISO 9001:2000. As a result, ISO/TS 16949:2002 will replace all of them.

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WHAT IS THE NATIONAL STANDARD FOR FACILITY HURRICANE PREPAREDNESS?

The objective of this standard is to help organizations develop a system to become better organized before, during and after a hurricane. The assessment of your level of hurricane preparedness will determine the ability of your organization to assure business continuity, reduce confusion and minimize the potential for injury, cost for recovery and downtime before resuming normal operations.

Organizations certified to this standard will enjoy many benefits, including:

• Decreased potential for damages and injuries from hurricanes
• Higher than expected production capacities after a hurricane
• A disciplined response to catastrophe
• Ability to proclaim to their customers that their supply chain will less likely be broken after a hurricane
• Potential eligibility for reduced insurance premiums
• Higher level of social responsibility toward their employees and community
• Lower levels of employee anxiety
• Reduced doubt about their state of preparedness
• Being a leader within the community they serve

WHAT IS ISO 9001:2000?

Many of the international standards begin with the letters "ISO", the abbreviation for the "International Organization for Standardization." This worldwide federation of 148 (at present) national standards bodies works to promote the growth of manufacturing, trade and communication among business operations worldwide, through the development of generic quality standards.

The most widely recognized standard is the ISO 9000 series, a basic quality management system that can be used in industries of any size, anywhere in the world. Registration to ISO 9001:2000 (or other quality standard) provides objective proof that a business has implemented an effective quality management system, and that it satisfies all of the requirements of the applicable standard. An external, impartial expert called a registrar conducts an on-site audit to determine whether or not a company is in conformance to the standard. If they are found to be in conformance, they will be issued a certificate showing their address, scope of operations and the seals of the accreditation bodies that give the registrar its legitimacy.

The latest revision of the ISO 9000 standard was released in December 2000. ISO 9001:2000 constitutes a major revision of the earlier 1994 standard. The ISO 9002 and 9003 documents were discontinued after December 2003, with ISO 9001 becoming the only auditable standard. ISO 9001:2000 was rewritten to better apply to all types of companies, not just large manufacturing concerns. Also, the new structure of the standard was designed to be more compatible with ISO 14001, the environmental management standard.

PJR is accredited by ANAB, RvA, TGA, UKAS, JAB, INMETRO and SINCERT to register clients to ISO 9001:2000.

WHAT IS AS9100?

This is the newest version of the aerospace industry standard. AS9100 incorporates all the elements of ISO 9001, plus additional elements unique to the aerospace industry. One of the important features of AS9100 is the resurrection of some critical elements of MIL-Q, the military specifications that were shelved when ISO 9000 first came on the scene.

The standard was developed by a committee of procurement, purchasing and quality executives from the major U.S. aerospace manufacturers as a way to reduce defects in the supplier chain; continually improve quality; boost customer satisfaction; and considerably reduce the number of hours spent on audits, requirements and documentation. Instead of having to comply with many differing quality requirements and standards for each customer, aerospace industry suppliers and subcontractors now had for the first time a single aerospace standard that would be accepted across the board.

In the next few years, the standard promises to become increasingly important to the thousands of companies who supply parts and services to aircraft and aerospace manufacturers. Most of the major aircraft engine manufacturers, such as General Electric's Aircraft Engine division (GEAE), Boeing, Rolls-Royce Allison and Pratt & Whitney, are already requiring registration to AS9100. PJR is accredited by ANAB (formerly RAB) to register aerospace suppliers to AS9100.

PJR is accredited by ANAB (formerly RAB) to register aerospace suppliers to AS9100.

WHAT IS AS9120?

AS9120 is a new sector-specific standard for the aerospace industry. It was specifically designed for aerospace suppliers known as "stockist distributors" or "pass-through distributors" to the aerospace OEM's. These are companies that resell, warehouse and distribute parts for aircraft manufacturers – that is, businesses that only accumulate and distribute parts and materials rather than add value or work on the products themselves. Such parts typically include fasteners, raw materials, or aircraft components. The latter may include cabin components, electronic units for cockpits, or airframe assemblies.

AS9120 is intended to replace SAE standard AS7103, which is currently listed in the FAA's Advisory Circulator 00-56, Voluntary Industry Distributor Accreditation Program. While AS9100 includes ISO 9001:2000 in its entirety, AS9120 does not. It excludes the following ISO 9001:2000 clauses:

• 7.1 Planning of Product Realization
• 7.3 Design and Development
• 7.5.2 Validation of Processes for Production and Service Provision

PJR is accredited by ANAB to certify companies to the new AS9120 standard, and is one of the first registrars to achieve this accreditation.

WHAT IS TL 9000?

TL 9000 is the ISO 9000 based standard that was developed specifically for the telecommunications industry. TL 9000 was developed by an industry consortium called the QuEST forum, which consists of representatives from leading telecommunications service providers in the United States, Canada, and Britain. TL 9000 incorporates all of the elements of ISO 9001:2000, then adds requirements specific to the hardware, software and services segments within telecommunications. A further element of TL 9000 is the inclusion of "metrics," a quantitative method of measuring cost and performance.

PJR was involved in the TL 9000 initiative from the beginning, being one of a select few registrars who participated in the formation of this important new standard by becoming a QuEST Forum Liaison Member. Being a Liaison Member allows PJR access to the most up-to-date information on TL 9000, which translates into the best service for PJR clients.

PJR is accredited by ANAB to register clients to TL 9000.

WHAT IS ISO 13485?

ISO 13485:2003 is another sector-specific quality standard – such as AS9100 and TL 9000 – but for the medical device industry. The standard's full name is ISO 13485:2003, Medical Devices – Quality Management Systems – Requirements for Regulatory Purposes.

Medical devices come in close contact with patients and range from minor support for medical conditions to lifesaving capability. As such, they demand high criteria. Companies that establish and implement an ISO 13485 quality system are taking a world-class approach to the design, development, manufacture, distribution and servicing of medical devices. Registration to ISO 13485 requires accountability, compliance with regulations such as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)’s Current Good Manufacturing Practices (CGMP), maintenance of documentation, and traceability of products.

Certification to ISO 13485 offers a major competitive edge for medical device companies. Far-sighted firms are planning either for first-time registration to ISO 13485:2003, or an upgrade from ISO 13485/8:1996.

PJR is accredited by ANAB to register companies to ISO 13485.

WHAT IS ISO 14001?

ISO 14001 is a global standard for environmental management systems (EMS). The goal of the ISO 14001 standard is to give the top management of any organization a framework for managing environmental impacts.

Because of its generic nature and universal acceptance, ISO 14001 has the potential to affect the environmental management practices of virtually every manufacturing company in the world – its impact even extends beyond the industrial realm. Any company whose products, services or day-to-day activities have an impact on the environment needs to be aware of ISO 14001.

Like ISO 9001:2000, ISO 14001 is a product of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). ISO 14001 is the world's first generic, internationally recognized standard for environmental management. Of the group of ISO 14000 standards, ISO 14001 is the actual standard to which companies get registered. Experts are predicting that the impacts of this dynamic standard will transcend the vast popularity of the world-renowned ISO 9000 quality standard. ISO 14001 measures the conformance of an organization's EMS to the specified requirements.

Through the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), ISO 14001 is expected to become a prerequisite for doing business worldwide. Experts say it is the market forces which will drive acceptance of the new global environmental standards.

PJR is accredited by ANAB, RvA, UKAS, JAB, INMETRO and SINCERT to register clients to ISO 14001.

Advantages of ISO 14001 Registration
Industry Mandates for ISO 14001

WHAT IS OHSAS 18001?

OHSAS 18001:2007 Update

OHSAS stands for Occupational Health and Safety Assessment Specification. In April 1999, the British Standards Institute released the specification that they called OHSAS 18001. This was developed in response to strong worldwide demand for a generalized, comprehensive outline for managing occupational health & safety issues.

A descendant of BS 8800 and a number of other national and private-sector standards, OHSAS 18001 can be used by any company to promote safe work practices and employee well-being. Its format parallels ISO 9001:2000 and 14001, and registrars are now implementing and testing uniform models for auditing and registration to OHSAS 18001.

A growing number of organizations are becoming interested in attaining registration to this specification. They understand that this will provide them numerous benefits, including:

• Ensuring the proper and effective management of worker health & safety.
• Demonstrating to regulatory bodies the seriousness of their commitment to these issues.
• The potential to obtain lower insurance premiums by showing insurers that they are carefully managing risk.

PJR is accredited by RvA to register companies to OHSAS 18001.

WHAT ARE RCMS® AND RC14001?

RCMS®/RC14001 Update

Responsible Care Management System®

The Responsible Care Management System® (RCMS®) initiative was launched in 1988 by the American Chemistry Council (ACC), and remains largely within the province of the chemical industry. Responsible Care® is based on seven Codes of Management Practice: Pollution Prevention, Distribution, Product Stewardship, Process Safety, Employee Health and Safety, Security, and Community Awareness and Emergency Response. While technically classified as a "voluntary" program, the ACC is now requiring certification to a Responsible Care Management System® for its member companies. This can be either RCMS® or RC14001.

RC14001

RC14001 is a Technical Specification that combines ISO 14001 with additional Responsible Care® elements required under the RC14001 scope. The text of ISO 14001 is reproduced in its entirety, and within each section, the additional Responsible Care® requirements are included as boxed text. By choosing RC14001, companies can become registered to both systems at the same time.

PJR is accredited by ANAB to audit companies to RC14001 and RCMS®.

WHAT IS ISO 27001:2005?

ISO 27001:2005 is an international standard for Information Security Management Systems (ISMS). It utilizes the Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) model, which is applied to structure all ISMS processes. This standard also provides a robust model for implementing the principles in the OECD Guidelines governing risk assessment, security design and implementation, security management and reassessment.

ISO 27001:2005 was published in October 2005, and replaces BS 7799-2:1999, and was produced to harmonize with international standards such as ISO 9001:2000.

PJR is accredited by UKAS to register companies to ISO 27001:2005.

WHAT IS ISO 22000:2005?

ISO 22000:2005 is an international standard for Food Safety Management Systems (FSMS). This standard specifies the requirements for a food safety management system where an organization in the food chain needs to demonstrate its ability to control food safety hazards in order to ensure that food is safe at the time of human consumption. ISO 22000:2005 combines the Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points (HACCP) plan with prerequisite programs (PRPs) and integrates them with the application steps developed by the Codex Alimentarius Commission. It is applicable to all organizations that are involved in any aspect of the food chain and want to implement systems that consistently provide safe products.

ISO 22000:2005 was published in September 2005.

PJR is accredited by UKAS to register companies to ISO 22000:2005.